Under ideal circumstances, a horseback riding saddle is fitted to a particular horse, allowing the saddle's horseback contacting skirt panels to evenly rest upon the horse's back. A properly fitted saddle applies evenly dispersed pressure laterally against the upper left and right aspects of the horse's barrel, and applies evenly dispersed pressure longitudinally between the horse's withers and loins. Such fitted saddles commonly include a layer of wool loft or fleece material applied directly to the contact surfaces of the skirt panels. Additionally, a saddle pad is commonly interposed between the saddle and a horse's back, such pad typically serving dual functions of providing additional cushioning of the horse's back, and preventing sweat from soaking through to the saddle.
Where a horseback riding saddle, such as described above, is well fitted to a horse, maintenance of a precise alignment of such saddle pad with respect to the horse and the saddle is typically of little consequence. However, saddles are often used for time periods making up a major portion of the life span of a horse. As a horse ages, gradual diminishment of the tone and bulk of musculature across the horse's back tends to change the shape of the horse's back, and may result in “swaying” of the back. Such changes over time often undesirably confound or disrupt the fit of that horse's saddle. Continued use of a poorly fitted saddle often tends to “sore” the horse's back by causing pressure points at the horse's withers and loins, or by causing free space “clapping” between the horse's back and undersurfaces of the saddle.
In the equestrian arts, specialized saddle pads incorporating shim receiving pockets are known. Such shim receiving pockets typically receive and hold saddle fitting shims which commonly comprise tailored and fitted felt pads having thicknesses varying between ⅛ and ¾ inch. Such saddle fitting shims are known to be strategically placed within such saddle pad pockets in order to assure evenly dispersed saddle/horse pressurized contact despite a saddle's otherwise poor fit. Accordingly, such shims and saddle pad pocket combinations advantageously accommodate for a saddle's poor fit and extend the usefulness of a saddle.
Where a saddle pad includes shims and shim pockets, maintenance of proper alignment of such saddle pad between the saddle and horse is desired. In the event of saddle pad slippage, shims within the pockets of such saddle pad may undesirably produce pressure sores instead of performing their beneficial function of assuring proper saddle fit.
The instant inventive saddle pad solves or ameliorates problems discussed above by fixedly attaching a flexible “T” hook or tab and by securely engaging such “T” hook with under-saddle structures which make up and comprise the saddle's midline gullet space.